Clearcoat duck decoys??

[beginnerhunter]

Cleaning and putting away my decoys. Thinking about applying a clearcoat to make the paint last longer. Anyone doing this? Anyone have a preferred method for storage or just shove em in attic?

 

[MarvB]

Just be sure to test it on one deke first, don’t want too much shine and possibly screw up your whole rig

 

[beginnerhunter]

Just be sure to test it on one deke first, don’t want too much shine and possibly screw up your whole rig

Hmm good call... I got the matte finish so hopefully wont be too bad.

 

[MarvB]

krylon 1311 matte finish.... $3.96 at Wallys

 

[Deleted member 38069]

How nice of deeks are we talking? I like to hang mine. Making them shiny would make you buy new decoys faster!

 

[Irrelevant]

Slight tangent, why aren't there decoys that don't lose their paint? I mean like really high end lifetime guarantee ones? I need to upgrade my flock and I just can't find anything that promises long term durability

 

[mplane72]

Search clear coating decoys on you tube if you haven't yet.

I have not tried yet but probably will. I have tried armor all when cleaning. It did look good but doesn't last long.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I would be concerned about spray on finishes cracking and flaking, especially in cold weather. Exterior "spar" finishes are made to be soft so they move more with surfaces that expand and contract a lot. Acrylic finishes are typically brittle and don't handle changing temps well. But acrylic is popular for spray cans because it dries fast. I would be interested to see what the gent in the video thought of the different finishes after a season in the field.

 

[Elmacho]

Buy 3 dozen oversized socks and put one decoy in each, then drag them thru the swamp and remove each as you put out the spread ......all sarcasm intended.

Good ideas though. Never thought about clear coating.....guess I am a bit slow....been pissed all these years about the finishes rubbing off

 

[EYJONAS!]

I wouldn't paint em...... are they flocked?

 

[R.K.]

If you need the paint to hold up, just buy some older G&H decoys. Their molds are a bit dated, but good Lord those paint jobs are bomb-proof.

Used to walk-in hunt with 3 doz borrowed mallards on my back. Really wish I could talk my old neighbor out of them- still going strong after 20 years.

 

[beginnerhunter]

I wouldn't paint em...... are they flocked?

Oh no way. Would definitely not do it to flocked deeks.

I buy cheap deeks with easily chipped paint anyways. Drag them around in a bag everywhere. Just thought might try something to get a little more out of them.

 

[beginnerhunter]

Slight tangent, why aren't there decoys that don't lose their paint? I mean like really high end lifetime guarantee ones? I need to upgrade my flock and I just can't find anything that promises long term durability

That's why I buy cheap ones. I'm not convinced the BOCO model works for decoys the way they get treated.

 

[Jc2020]

Never painted them but I’d be interested to see if this helps

 

[Irrelevant]

That's why I buy cheap ones. I'm not convinced the BOCO model works for decoys the way they get treated.

As have I, but it's still just frustrating, and feels wasteful.

 

[beginnerhunter]

Search clear coating decoys on you tube if you haven't yet.

I have not tried yet but probably will. I have tried armor all when cleaning. It did look good but doesn't last long.

I watch this guy quite a bit, don't know how I missed that. Pretty interesting. Of course, he's trying to rehab some decoys whereas I'm trying to get the paint to last a little longer.

 

[Doublecluck]

Slight tangent, why aren't there decoys that don't lose their paint? I mean like really high end lifetime guarantee ones? I need to upgrade my flock and I just can't find anything that promises long term durability

Dakota and Avian x hold up pretty well. Half the time we just toss them in the trailer.

I once convinced a guy that he should armor all his decoys to keep them looking good. Lol things I’ll probably go to hell for..

I wouldn’t paint decoys, just buy good ones.

if you are really worried about it store them in bags.

keep in mind some decoys are painted/made with ultra low UV materials to look like real birds. Even matte paint may reflect the sun differently.

 

[beginnerhunter]

As have I, but it's still just frustrating, and feels wasteful.

One thing Strickland does to old decoys is turn them into black ducks or floater snows because they are easier to paint that way.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I paint my old dekes black/white for maximum visibility and store them in a slotted bag for longer life.
I run them on a long line in deep water at the extreme upwind side of the setup.
The rest of my dekes are on texas rigs and get banged around.

 

[Irrelevant]

I paint my old dekes black/white for maximum visibility and store them in a slotted bag for longer life.
I run them on a long line in deep water at the extreme upwind side of the setup.
The rest of my dekes are on texas rigs and get banged around.
View attachment 175512

I've repainted all of mine at least once, but I'm not an artist- maybe I'm just self conscious, but it feels like the ducks can tell that too.